So why isn’t this in the Pit? Because I don’t want to rant, nor do I wish to revive the subjects that are making me angry… although they’re mostly on this board, in GQ and GD. When I saw posts in those fora with factually incorrect or misleading information, I used to shrug it off or calmly offer a correction. Now… I find myself getting irked and responding sharply.
This might be understandable if the targets of my ire were repeat offenders – that is, if the same poster had been doing this for the past six months.
But in general, that’s not so. It’s new people, or people that aren’t guilty of this all the time… but for some reason, it;s really rubbing me the wrong way lately.
Not that I think such information should be left unchallenged… it’s just that I used to be so calm about it, and now I find myself getting mad. Mad. Over a message board!
So - this is why there are no links, no rant… just me sharing the pointless information that I’m angrier these days for some unknown reason.
Since it’s out of character for you, it sounds like there’s something else stressing you out-- channeling a bit of anger at anonymous posters is a safe way of letting off steam.
You feelin’ okay?
Getting enough sleep?
Working too much?
Worrying too much?
Need a hug? {hug}
I thought that was 87%. Hrm. Learn something new every day.
Bricker, is it maybe a bit of burnout on the whole “fighting ignorance” thing? It’s frustrating to hear and correct the same misinformation over and over. And new misinformation crops up all the time. Look at Cecil; he’s been doing this since 1973 and he’s pretty grumpy. Not that I’m suggesting he’s burnt out or anything; just acknowledging that fighting ignorance can get, well, frustrating over time…
Well, maybe it’s external stress, at least in part. Mrs. Bricker and I are moving; we’ve sold our house and building a new one, which won’t be done until March of next year… so for nine or ten months, we’ll be moving in with my mom… who will then move in with us. You see, Mom’s suffering from “wet macular degeneration” – she can’t see any more; she’s legally blind now. And she can’t live alone. But both our house and her house were too small and not constructed well to have us living together, so this is what occasioned the grand moving project. We had to build because it was difficult to find a large house with a first-floor bedroom and full bath – necessary because she also can’t do stairs well.
So that may be part of it.
Jenaroph has a handle on some of it as well. Even though it’s not the same PEOPLE, it’s the same sort of misinformation; I find myself (unreasonably) upset that the correction provided three months ago to Joe Blow doesn’t also handle John Smith today.
I’d be a lousy teacher… looking over a new class and saying, “Hey, I taught all this stuff last year – how come YOU guys don’t get it?”
Then you’d be like my dad - who finally retired from teaching because he was ‘tired of the same old game’ -
If your grumpiness is bothering you perhaps you should take some time off from the boards. I know that if I get all wrapped around the axle over something on the SDMB, then it’s time for me to stay away for a few days.
You are going thru three traumatic things IRL too, don’t be too hard on yourself. Three cheers for ya’ll taking care of Mom.
How odd, I’ve been thinking the same thing–not the Board so much as everyday life.
I don’t need anti-depressants; when I’m depressed it’s generally for a good reason. I don’t need anti-anxiety pills, for the same reason. But do they make anti-pissed-off drugs?
I suspect I participated in a recent thread which got your back up. Certain replies in the same one were also shitting me. I imagine it’s because we tend to get annoyed when incorrect responses are given to a question which deals with our particular area of expertise – the same as a scientist would feel if he or she continually encountered bad answers to science questsions.
Oh, you’re moving, and building a house, so you can move again.
Just put that in your sig and then we’ll all understand why you’re being a bit more snippy than usual. Moving drives me batshit and makes my usual variable moods into a constant source of misery for those around me.
I tried and tried to articulate the following in a new thread but got fed up. So I thought it best to post it in this thread where it is at least a bit relevant…
There seems to be a type of person who is infuriated by calmness in the face of something that would make most people angry.
My brother’s wife is one of those people. On one occasion she actually admitted this - “you are the same as your brother - you are completely poker-faced calm when something should be pissing you off. It really really pisses me off!”. to which I said “I can’t help it. I just don’t feel the urge/need to react”
Now, my brother’s wife is probably the most angry person I have ever met. The second most angry person I have ever met is my boss. He also seems to get more pissed off when I remain calm. He uses me as a sounding-board for his frustrations, but when I don’t get equally mad (just nod and hum) he seems to get madder.
Don’t get me wrong. some things (little insignificant things) can/do piss me off. I just can’t muster the energy to get pissed off by serious things. Things that might affect my future or possessions. When my bike got stolen I didn’t feel an ounce of anger. When I fractured a vertebrae in my spine - nothing.
In limited defense of newbies pointing out the same old stuff over and over, can I mention that it’s because people ARE newbies that they don’t know what Joe Blow said three months ago? Not that that excuses ignorance, but it does at least explain the recurrence of it.
There are certain discussion topics that come up over and over and over and OVER AND OVER in certain fora. I’ve seen some topics discussed in other online discussion groups repeatedly for over ten years now, and each time it comes up it’s a brand-new topic for the person raising it. Who honestly may have never thought of it before, and is actually seeking some insight. Or else is just a jerk spouting off, but has no clue that he’s Jerk #743 to raise this point.
That all being said, I understand the pissed-offness. And the difficulties of all the moving. When we bought our house, the one thing it HAD to have was a bedroom (or at least bedroom-type room) and full bath on the ground floor because my mom is elderly and can’t do stairs any more. It was a real challenge, at least in our price range. But she appreciates the effort every time she comes to visit – she hasn’t moved in with us (yet)!
